the essays of montaigne, v5-第7章

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logic。＇　that　render　their　disciples　so　dirty　and　ill…favoured；　and　not
she；　they　do　not　so　much　as　know　her　but　by　hearsay。　　What！　　It　is　she
that　calms　and　appeases　the　storms　and　tempests　of　the　soul；　and　who
teaches　famine　and　fevers　to　laugh　and　sing；　and　that；　not　by　certain
imaginary　epicycles；　but　by　natural　and　manifest　reasons。　　She　has　virtue
for　her　end；　which　is　not；　as　the　schoolmen　say；　situate　upon　the　summit
of　a　perpendicular；　rugged；　inaccessible　precipice：　such　as　have
approached　her　find　her；　quite　on　the　contrary；　to　be　seated　in　a　fair；
fruitful；　and　flourishing　plain；　whence　she　easily　discovers　all　things
below；　to　which　place　any　one　may；　however；　arrive；　if　he　know　but　the
way；　through　shady；　green；　and　sweetly…flourishing　avenues；　by　a
pleasant；　easy；　and　smooth　descent；　like　that　of　the　celestial　vault。
'Tis　for　not　having　frequented　this　supreme；　this　beautiful；　triumphant；
and　amiable；　this　equally　delicious　and　courageous　virtue；　this　so
professed　and　implacable　enemy　to　anxiety；　sorrow；　fear；　and　constraint；
who；　having　nature　for　her　guide；　has　fortune　and　pleasure　for　her
companions；　that　they　have　gone；　according　to　their　own　weak　imagination；
and　created　this　ridiculous；　this　sorrowful；　querulous；　despiteful；
threatening；　terrible　image　of　it　to　themselves　and　others；　and　placed　it
upon　a　rock　apart；　amongst　thorns　and　brambles；　and　made　of　it　a
hobgoblin　to　affright　people。

But　the　governor　that　I　would　have；　that　is　such　a　one　as　knows　it　to　be
his　duty　to　possess　his　pupil　with　as　much　or　more　affection　than
reverence　to　virtue；　will　be　able　to　inform　him；　that　the　poets　have
evermore　accommodated　themselves　to　the　public　humour；　and　make　him
sensible；　that　the　gods　have　planted　more　toil　and　sweat　in　the　avenues
of　the　cabinets　of　Venus　than　in　those　of　Minerva。　　And　when　he　shall
once　find　him　begin　to　apprehend；　and　shall　represent　to　him　a　Bradamante
or　an　Angelica　＇Heroines　of　Ariosto。＇　for　a　mistress；　a　natural；
active；　generous；　and　not　a　viragoish；　but　a　manly　beauty；　in　comparison
of　a　soft；　delicate；　artificial　simpering；　and　affected　form；　the　one　in
the　habit　of　a　heroic　youth；　wearing　a　glittering　helmet；　the　other
tricked　up　in　curls　and　ribbons　like　a　wanton　minx；　he　will　then　look
upon　his　own　affection　as　brave　and　masculine；　when　he　shall　choose　quite
contrary　to　that　effeminate　shepherd　of　Phrygia。

Such　a　tutor　will　make　a　pupil　digest　this　new　lesson；　that　the　height
and　value　of　true　virtue　consists　in　the　facility；　utility；　and　pleasure
of　its　exercise；　so　far　from　difficulty；　that　boys；　as　well　as　men；　and
the　innocent　as　well　as　the　subtle；　may　make　it　their　own；　it　is　by
order；　and　not　by　force；　that　it　is　to　be　acquired。　　Socrates；　her　first
minion；　is　so　averse　to　all　manner　of　violence；　as　totally　to　throw　it
aside；　to　slip　into　the　more　natural　facility　of　her　own　progress；　'tis
the　nursing　mother　of　all　human　pleasures；　who　in　rendering　them　just；
renders　them　also　pure　and　permanent；　in　moderating　them；　keeps　them　in
breath　and　appetite；　in　interdicting　those　which　she　herself　refuses；
whets　our　desire　to　those　that　she　allows；　and；　like　a　kind　and　liberal
mother；　abundantly　allows　all　that　nature　requires；　even　to　satiety；　if
not　to　lassitude：　unless　we　mean　to　say　that　the　regimen　which　stops　the
toper　before　he　has　drunk　himself　drunk；　the　glutton　before　he　has　eaten
to　a　surfeit；　and　the　lecher　before　he　has　got　the　pox；　is　an　enemy　to
pleasure。　　If　the　ordinary　fortune　fail；　she　does　without　it；　and　forms
another；　wholly　her　own；　not　so　fickle　and　unsteady　as　the　other。　　She
can　be　rich；　be　potent　and　wise；　and　knows　how　to　lie　upon　soft　perfumed
beds：　she　loves　life；　beauty；　glory；　and　health；　but　her　proper　and
peculiar　office　is　to　know　how　to　regulate　the　use　of　all　these　good
things；　and　how　to　lose　them　without　concern：　an　office　much　more　noble
than　troublesome；　and　without　which　the　whole　course　of　life　is
unnatural；　turbulent；　and　deformed；　and　there　it　is　indeed；　that　men　may
justly　represent　those　monsters　upon　rocks　and　precipices。

If　this　pupil　shall　happen　to　be　of　so　contrary　a　disposition；　that　he
had　rather　hear　a　tale　of　a　tub　than　the　true　narrative　of　some　noble
expedition　or　some　wise　and　learned　discourse；　who　at　the　beat　of　drum；
that　excites　the　youthful　ardour　of　his　companions；　leaves　that　to　follow
another　that　calls　to　a　morris　or　the　bears；　who　would　not　wish；　and　find
it　more　delightful　and　more　excellent；　to　return　all　dust　and　sweat
victorious　from　a　battle；　than　from　tennis　or　from　a　ball；　with　the　prize
of　those　exercises；　I　see　no　other　remedy；　but　that　he　be　bound　prentice
in　some　good　town　to　learn　to　make　minced　pies；　though　he　were　the　son　of
a　duke；　according　to　Plato's　precept；　that　children　are　to　be　placed　out
and　disposed　of；　not　according　to　the　wealth；　qualities；　or　condition　of
the　father；　but　according　to　the　faculties　and　the　capacity　of　their　own
souls。

Since　philosophy　is　that　which　instructs　us　to　live；　and　that　infancy　has
there　its　lessons　as　well　as　other　ages；　why　is　it　not　communicated　to
children　betimes？

　　　　　　　　　〃Udum　et　molle　lutum　est；　nunc；　nunc　properandus；　et　acri
　　　　　　　　　　Fingendus　sine　fine　rota。〃

　　　　　＇〃The　clay　is　moist　and　soft：　now；　now　make　haste；　and　form　the
　　　　　pitcher　on　the　rapid　wheel。'Persius；　iii。　23。＇

They　begin　to　teach　us　to　live　when　we　have　almost　done　living。
A　hundred　students　have　got　the　pox　before　they　have　come　to　read
Aristotle's　lecture　on　temperance。　　Cicero　said；　that　though　he　should
live　two　men's　ages；　he　should　never　find　leisure　to　study　the　lyric
poets；　and　I　find　these　sophisters　yet　more　deplorably　unprofitable。
The　boy　we　would　breed　has　a　great　deal　less　time　to　spare；　he　owes　but
the　first　fifteen　or　sixteen　years　of　his　life　to　education；　the
remainder　is　due　to　action。　　Let　us；　therefore；　employ　that　short　time　in
necessary　instruction。　　Away　with　the　thorny　subtleties　of　dialectics；
they　are　abuses；　things　by　which　our　lives　can　never　be　amended：　take　the
plain　philosophical　discourses；　learn　how　rightly　to　choose；　and　then
rightly　to　apply　them；　they　are　more　easy　to　be　understood　than　one　of
Boccaccio's　novels；　a　child　from　nurse　is　much　more　capable　of　them；　than
of　learning　to　read　or　to　write。　　Philosophy　has　discourses　proper　for
childhood；　as　well　as　for　the　decrepit　age　of　men。

I　am　of　Plutarch's　mind；　that　Aristotle　did　not　so　much　trouble　his　great
disciple　with　the　knack　of　forming　syllogisms；　or　with　the　elements　of
geometry；　as　with　infusing　into　him　good　precepts　concerning　valour；
prowess；　magnanimity；　temperance；　and　the　contempt　of　fear；　and　with　this
ammunition；　sent　him；　whilst　yet　a　boy；　with　no　more　than　thirty　thousand
foot；　four　thousand　horse；　and　but　forty…two　thousand　crowns；　to
subjugate　the　empire　of　the　whole　earth。　　For　the　other　acts　and
sciences；　he　says；　Alexander　highly　indeed　commended　their　excellence　and
charm；　and　had　them　in　very　great　honour　and　esteem；　but　not　ravished
with　them　to　that　degree　as　to　be　tempted　to　affect　the　practice　of　them
In　his　own　person：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Petite　hinc；　juvenesque　senesque；
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Finem　ammo　certum；　miserisque　viatica　canis。〃

　　　　　＇〃Young　men　and　old　men；　derive　hence　a　certain　end　to　the　mind；
　　　　　and　stores　for　miserable　grey　hairs。〃Persius；　v。　64。＇

Epicurus；　in　the　beginning　of　his　letter　to　Meniceus；＇Diogenes
Laertius；　x。　122。＇　says；　〃That　neither　the　youngest　should　refuse　to
philosophise；　nor　the　oldest　grow　weary　of　it。〃　　Who　does　otherwise；
seems　tacitly　to　imply；　that　either　the　time　of　living　happily　is
not　yet　come；　or　that　it　is　already　past。　　And　yet；　a　for　all　that；　I
would　not　have　this　pupil　of　ours　imprisoned　and　made　a　slave　to　his
book；　nor　would　I　have　him　given　up　to　the　morosity　and　melancholic
humour　of　a　sour　ill…natured　pedant。

I　would　not　have　his　spirit　cowed　and　subdued；　by　applying　him　to　the
rack；　and　tormenting　him；　as　some　do；　fourteen　or　fifteen　hours　a　day；
and　so　make　a　pack…horse　of　him。　　Neither　should　I　think　it　good；　when；
by　reason　of　a　solitary　and　melancholic　complexion；　he　is　discovered